“Depends on the girl,” Jaxon replies with a wink.
“Let’s say she’s blonde, unaccompanied, and thirsty.”
“Oh, well I’ve never been one to turn down a thirsty blonde.”
I visibly tense at the flirtatious insinuation, and he immediately looks regretful.
“Sorry, I’m kinda new at this.” I scrunch my nose and peek up at him. “Pretend that didn’t just happen.” I pretend to rewind time with my hands then smile.
“You know, that night…” He pauses to look me in the eye. “…at the Christmas party—”
I stop him before he puts us both through the embarrassment of reliving it. “We don’t talk about that night. Remember?”
He slides my Lemon Drop Martini across the counter and holds my gaze for a second longer than usual. “What if I don’t want to forget?”
I knew what I wanted when I came here tonight. I had a carefully thought out plan to start fresh with Jaxon and if all went well, explore other possibilities with him. But now that he’s looking at me with a familiar glimmer in his eyes and talking in that low, husky voice, I’m not so confident anymore.
My nerves get the best of me, and I am consumed with guilt. It’s all I can do to finish my drink without spilling it all over the bar.
“I think it could use another shot, don’t you?” I ask, sliding my glass back in his direction.
“Don’t you think you should take it slow?”
“It’s been over a year since I’ve even flirted with a guy. For a twenty-three-year-old woman, it doesn’t get much slower than that.”
He laughs and grabs my glass. “I meant the drinking, but that’s good to know.”
“Oh.”
Great. Now I’m embarrassed.
As soon as he passes me a new drink, I swallow down the tart liquid sweetness. “You are really good at your job,” I say, attempting to change the subject.
Jaxon watches as another mouthful of courage seeps between my lips. “I’m good at a lot of things.”
Oh my God. He’s flirting. He’s flirting.
And I’m panicking.
I totally suck at this.
I down a second large gulp then hold my finger up. “Hold that thought. I’ll be right back.”
I hurry toward the bathroom, stopping to lean against the wall right outside the bathroom door. I take a deep breath and throw my head against the plastered surface.
I haven’t flirted with anyone other than Reid in six years. All I can seem to think about is that I’m betraying him. I picture his expression, heartbroken and disappointed.
I suck all the air I can into my lungs then exhale a slow, measured breath. “Get it together Makenna. You can do this. It’s Jaxon. It’s not like it’s some creep at a night club,” I speak quietly to myself. Then I close my eyes and muster up all the confidence I can and go back to my seat.
As soon as I turn the corner, I’m instantly intimidated by a gorgeous blonde at the end of the bar. She outclasses me by miles, and I know women that would kill for legs like that. Hell, I would kill for legs like that.
I slide back onto my stool and resume sipping my drink. In a way I feel a wave of relief wash over me. This is good. This buys me time. Time to regroup and compose myself. Time to prepare, mentally and emotionally.
I’ve seen plenty of women wait at the end of this bar for Jaxon over the years and never thought much about it until now. Before now, they were nothing more than something for the waitresses to joke about. But tonight, this one is my competition, and I can honestly say that doesn’t bother me as much as it probably should.
He finishes up with a customer a few seats away then comes to meet me just as I savor the last sip.
“I didn’t realize you were expecting someone.” God, I sound jealous. I’m not trying to sound jealous.